While legalization is viewed favorably by a majority of New Jersey residents, many Democratic legislators are skeptical of the economic or social benefits that could come with a regulated cannabis industry. | AP Photo

Gov. Phil Murphy and Senate President Steve Sweeney are working to persuade seven Democratic senators believed to be swing votes on a bill that would legalize cannabis for recreational use to back the legislation, multiple sources told POLITICO.

Democrats control 26 of the 40 seats in the state Senate. Three of the Democrats are already expected to be "no" votes. Assuming 16 others vote to pass the recreational use bill, Murphy and Sweeney would need at least five votes from a group that includes Sens. Dawn Addiego (D-Burlington), Nia Gill (D-Essex, Passaic), Fred Madden (D-Gloucester), Nicholas Sacco (D-Hudson), Paul Sarlo, Brian Stack (D-Hudson) and Shirley Turner (D-Mercer) in order to move the legislation without anyRepublican support.

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Sweeney has already told the Murphy administration he would need help in convincing Gill, Sacco and Turner to vote "yes." Murphy was also tasked with convincing two Essex County Democrats — Sen. Ronald Rice and former Gov. Richard Codey — who have promised to vote down the measure, NJ S2703 (18R), to change their minds.

On Wednesday, Sen. Bob Andrzejczak (D-Cape May) told POLITICO he's already made up his mind to vote "no" on marijuana legalization, saying he thinks it will throw "fuel on the fire" of the state's opioid epidemic. He also said he believes the bill's tax structure, which imposes a $42 per ounce tax on sales, won't do enough to boost revenues.

Late last week, Murphy, Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin agreed on the broad strokes of legislation that would allow New Jersey residents to purchase small amounts of cannabis for their personal use. The deal, which resolved the trio’s differences on how marijuana should be taxed or regulated, included a pledge from Murphy to help convince certain Democratic legislators who remain on the fence.

Legislative leaders will need Murphy’s help, said Sen. Nicholas Scutari (D-Union), the bill’s lead sponsor and a longtime advocate for legalizing cannabis. The leak of last week’s deal put Democratic leaders on their heels, forcing them to rally support for a bill that’s far from beloved by the entire caucus.

Murphy and Sweeney declined comment.

Murphy championed legalization of recreational cannabis during his campaign for governor in 2017, arguing the aggressive prosecution of marijuana possession cases has done more harm than good, particularly in the state’s minority communities. But while legalization is viewed favorably by a majority of New Jersey residents, many Democratic legislators are skeptical of the economic or social benefits that could come with a regulated cannabis industry.

And while Coughlin and Sweeney view the need to convince Democratic lawmakers to vote in lockstep with the governor’s aims as a collective effort, sources close to both leaders admit that they’ve asked Murphy to shoulder a sizable burden in moving votes.

“If he can’t get it done, no skin off our backs,” one legislative source said, referring to the governor. “We’re going to work and do everything we can — with him — to get it passed.”

The seven Democratic senators who remain in play are viewed as "maybes" on marijuana legalization, albeit to varying degrees, multiple sources said.

Addiego, who was elected to the Senate as Republican but switched parties last month, abstained from a November committee vote that advanced Scutari’s bill. Madden was one of a handful of Democrats who voted "no" on legislation that established the state’s medical marijuana program in 2009, but has since voted to advance legislation, NJ S10 (18R), that would expand the program’s size and scope.

A spokesman for Sacco said Wednesday he’s open to supporting legalization. However, as the mayor of North Bergen, he also has concerns about how much control local governments would have in determining where dispensaries and other cannabis businesses are located.

Local control is also expected to play a role in how Sarlo votes. Sarlo, who’s also the mayor of Wood-Ridge, told POLITICO he’s still mulling the issue. He abstained from advancing the bill out of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, which he chairs, in November.

“I’m just struggling with the whole concept of approving,” Sarlo said, adding that he also has concerns about what effect cannabis legalization might have on children, as well as workplace safety issues in the construction industry.

“I think it’s going to be tough. I’m not 100 percent confident that we’re going to get to the required number [of votes],” another senator told POLITICO. “If everybody, the governor, and the Senate president link arms, we have a good chance of getting there.”

Murphy and Sweeney might pick up some support from across the aisle, as well.

In January, three Republican senators — Declan O’Scanlon (R-Monmouth), Christopher “Kip” Bateman (R-Somerset) and Chris Brown (R-Atlantic) — said they’d be willing to vote in favor of legalization if Democrats dedicate funds to addiction treatment and recovery. They also said they wanted to see revenues that had been moved from the state’s Energy Tax Receipts Property Tax Relief returned to local governments, as well as funding for law enforcement training and the state's 911 System and Emergency Response Trust Fund, NJ Advance Media reported.

“My door is open,” O’Scanlon said, adding that he hasn’t discussed a coordinated plan with Brown or Bateman. “There’s other things that need to be worked out. We can’t make a mess of this.”